Channeled depressor bar



Oct. 13, 1970 R. E. HARRIS 3,533,252

CHANNELED DEPRESSOR BAR Filed Oct- 21, 1968 INVENTOR. ROBERT E. HARRIS ATTORN Y United States Patent 3,533,252 CHANNELED DEPRESSOR BAR Robert E. Harris, Decatur, Ala., assignor to Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 21, 1968, Ser. No. 769,179 Int. Cl. D061 1/00 US. Cl. 68181 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for submerging and washing freshly spun tows made by a wet spinning process, the apparatus being positioned in a cascade having a washing fluid moving counter to the tow movement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to an apparatus to submerge and thoroughly wash synthetic fibers in the form of tows or other bundles of filamentary material as they are continuously drawn up a washer cascade. In particular, this invention relates to an apparatus for thoroughly washing continuous filamentary material being drawn through a trough having a counter flowing fluid stream.

Description of the prior art The efficiency of washing is a vital step in the processing of textile filaments. The manufacture of certain filamentary polymers via wet spinning require that the solvent be effectively removed since tows having high residual solvent exhibit poor textile processing characteristics. Simply, solvent removal is accomplished by passing the tow through a trough having a fluid such as hot water moving in a direction opposite to the direction of tow movement.

A number of immersion devices such as guide rods, rotatable cylinders, squeezer, stripper bars and the like have been used individually or in tandem to assure adequate submersion of freshly coagulated filamentary material. Nevertheless, the efficiency of such devices in conjunction with washing cascades and troughs commonly employed in the art leaves much to be desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally, in wet spinning of synthetic fibers, a dope comprised of polymeric or copolymeric solutions and a suitable solvent is extruded through spinnerettes into a coagulation bath to form filaments, the aggregation of which comprises the tow. The filaments are drawn from the bath and up a cascade by any suitable means. Water is allowed to flow down the trough or cascade, the water coming into contact with the advancing tow and removing the solvent therefrom.

It is a principal object of the subject invention to provide an apparatus for effectively washing a freshly spun tow without increasing the volume of washing fluid or length of the wash trough.

Other objects will be apparent from the description given hereinafter.

In accordance with this invention, the apparatus comprises a depressor element extending across the trough through which the tow and wash water pass, the element being provided with upper and lower plates spaced to form a channel therebetween. The plates are curved toward the tow, the lower plate having its edges substantially in contact with the tow. The forward edge of the upper plate is positioned above the tow to form an opening above the tow, the rear edge of the upper plate being in contact with the tow. A deflector is secured to the 3,533,252 Patented Oct. 13, 1970 upper plate along its length, the deflector facing the flowing fluid stream and being positioned at an angle thereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a depressor element 10 provided with upper and lower plates 11 and 12 spaced from each other to form a channel or opening therebetween. The lower plate 12 is bent into a triangular configuration and is secured to the upper plate 11 by attachment to side plates 14 and 15, the plates 11 and 12 being spaced to form a channel 20 therebetween. The lower plate 12 has a forward leg 24 and a rearward leg 25 defining the basal portion of plate 12. The upper plate 11 has a forward edge 16 positioned above and in advance of the forward leg 24 of lower plate 12. A deflector 17 is connected along the length of forward edge 16 of of the upper plate 11, the deflector being positioned at an acuate angle relative to the direction of water flow. The rear edge of plate 11 is provided with a tail 19 which extends upward in a curved fashion, the lower portion of tail 19 being aligned with leg 24 and 25. A supporting bar 13 is secured to the topmost portion of the upper plate 11 for ease of handling and for positioning the depressor element 10 properly.

In operation and with reference to FIG. 2. a stream 23 of water is confined within a trough 22 and by gravity flows downward, advancing in the direction indicated by the arrows while the tow 18 passes in an opposite direction through the trough 22.

It is to be noted that the channeled depressor element 10 is positioned above the tow 18 and submerges the same beneath the stream 23. By the deflector 17 the stream 23 is swept or guided in part into the channel 20 and therethrough as indicated by the arrows to fall upon and pas-s through the advancing tow 18. Thus, the tow 18 is held submerged in the stream 23 and at the same time a portion of the fluid 23 is diverted through the channel 20 and driven through the tow 18 in returning to the wash trough.

The depressor element may be held in position extending across the trough by a simple clamping means engaged, for example, on beam 26 to the walls of the trough. Thus, the channeled depressor element 10 may be properly secured over the tow within the trough. Preferably the depressor element 10 provided with beam 26 is affixed above said element by the supporting bar 13, whereby the terminal ends of said beam 26 are allowed to slide within slots 27 situated along the wall of cascade 22. The terminal ends of beam 26 may also be allowed to come to rest upon a rim or ledge along the cascade and can be clamped thereon by some suitable means. The particular attaching device is not important so long as the channeled depressor element is properly situated in relation to the freshly spun tow as hereinabove described.

It is to be understood that deflector 17 can be constructed so that it may be rotatably hinged along the edge 16 of the upper plate 11 and be held by some suitable securing means in an appropriate angular attitude with respect to the stream. Such securing means are simply within the skill of the art.

Many different embodiments of this invention may be made Without departing from the scope and spirit thereof, Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be 3 limited to the specific embodiment shown and described herein, except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for continuously submerging and washing tow along a trough having a fluid stream flowing counter to the tow comprising a depressor element extending across the trough and positioned above the tow, said element provided with a channel having an inlet facing the flowing fluid stream and an outlet directed toward the tow whereby the fluid stream advancing toward the element is diverted in part through said channel and directed through the tow.

2. An apparatus as recited in accordance with claim 1 wherein the channel is longitudinally situated across the length of the element.

3. An apparatus as recited in accordance with claim 1 wherein the channel at its inlet is substantially above the tow and the channel at its outlet is substantially flush with the tow.

4. An apparatus as recited in accordance with claim 1 wherein a deflector is secured to the element above the channel at its inlet extending the length thereof, said deflector facing the fluid stream and angularly related thereto.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 provided with means for supporting said element within the trough.

6. An apparatus for continuously submerging and washing tow along a trough having a fluid stream flowing counter to the tow comprising a depressor element extending across the trough and positioned above the tow, said element provided with a channel having an inlet facing the fluid stream and substantially above the tow and an outlet directed toward the tow and substantially in contact therewith, a deflector secured above the channel at its inlet, said deflector facing the fluid stream and being positioned 4 at an angle thereto whereby the stream advancing toward the bar is diverted in part through said channel and directed through the tow.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said deflector is rotatably mounted above the channel at its inlet, said deflector facing the flowing fluid stream whereby the deflector can be angularly positioned to vary the degree of diverted fluid in part passing through the channel.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein the depressor element comprises an upper and a lower plate spaced from each other to form a channel therebetween, the plates being curved toward the tow, the lower plate having its curved edge substantially in contact with the tow, the upper plate having its forward edge positioned above the tow to form an inlet, and the rearward portion of said upper plate being substantially in contact with the tOW.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein the upper plate has a deflector tail positioned over the tow, said tail connected and formed by slightly extending the rearward edge of the upper plate parallel to the tow.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 provided with means for supporting said depressor element within the trough.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,230,747 1/1966 Leonard et al 68181 X 3,285,041 11/1966 Valls 68-181 3,353,380 11/1967 Taylor 68181 WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 68-212 

